In this week's Twitter Tuesday mailbag, Rivals.com Basketball Analyst Corey Evans discusses Michigan’s five-star chances, frontcourt targets for Kentucky and LSU, Femi Odukale and more.
Starting Five: Big weekend for LSU, gut check time at Duke
2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position
2022 Rankings: Top 75
Never say never, but I like the field's chances with Greg Brown versus Michigan's.
The Wolverines practically came out of nowhere to not just land in Brown’s final five but also secure his last official visit. However, Texas, with its recent string of wins, remains a top contender. The feeling is that if Shaka Smart’s job is secure, Brown would like to stay home for college. Brown's recruitment remains fluid and it seems like a new storyline emerges every week, but the Longhorns will be difficult to beat.
Memphis, which picked up major traction with Brown this winter, will also be tough to top. Don’t underestimate Auburn’s chances either, as the Tigers have shown they can win the heavy recruiting battles. Kentucky is also a factor.
If Josh Christopher were to commit to the Wolverines, perhaps playing with another elite talent that would intrigue Brown further but that could also be said for other programs in the running. Auburn is in the running for Jalen Green and Kentucky boasts the nation's top-ranked recruiting class. Ultimately, I don’t think other commitments will have a big impact on Brown’s final college decision.
I don’t want to speak on things that have yet to play out as the grad-transfer realm remains on hold until the college season comes to a close. That will change in the coming days with the smaller conference tournaments beginning and ending this week. From there, the transfer portal should get more crowded, and that's where Kentucky will spend most of its tie this spring looking for frontcourt help.
There could always be a surprise pick-up. Maybe Cliff Omoruyi, though Arizona State and Rutgers are in a much better spot. The Wildcats could try reclassify Moussa Cisse, but the true 5-man seems to be the one position that John Calipari has been unable to land over the past two years. Therefore, the Cats' next center could be another one-year rental.
It's worth pointing out that, in the future, the proposed one-time transfer rule would deemphasize the importance of grad-transfer market somewhat and open up a larger talent pool that UK could draw from.
Regarding whether Kentucky might look for another guard, there is a chance. The cupboard is not entirely bare in Lexington, though. It might be a nice-to-have situation instead of a desperate-need.
That has been the talk with Frank Anselem dating back to December. The four-star junior has been rather hush with his college recruitment after taking official visits to Arizona, LSU and Nebraska in the fall. Since then, there has been little talk out of Anselem’s camp, but there is still a strong belief that he will end up committing to the Tigers and enroll as part of the 2020 class.
Even if Anselem does choose LSU and is in Baton Rouge this fall, it will not stop the Tigers from continuing their pursuit of Moussa Cisse. The top-10 junior has already taken an official visit to Florida State, and Georgetown, Kentucky, and Memphis are also potential landing spots. However, LSU is definitely one of the few to beat and might even be among the leaders for him. The idea that Cisse could make the leap into the 2020 class has gotten stronger by the week, though a few hurdles remain before a reclassification actually takes place.
Jeff Capel sure would love for that to happen but Femi Odukale’s commitment will not come easy. He is currently on an official visit to Seton Hall, and while he could take one more trip, there is a chance that he shuts down his recruitment later this month.
In the fall, Odukale took official visits to St. Bonaventure and UMass, before then seeing a bevy of high-majors, including Pitt, jump into his recruitment. The Panthers played host to him last month and while they have picked up ground, UMass actually appears to be the leader.
DePaul, Virginia Tech and Washington State are also involved and fighting for Odukale's final visit. Look for Odukale to complete his official visit to Seton Hall tomorrow before deciding on whether he is ready to end his recruitment or take things a bit further before committing.
Texas Tech hasn’t spent a lot of time on its 2021 class primarily because it is not done with its 2020 class yet, but most of its recruiting efforts this spring will be with transfers.
Whenever Chris Beard's program begins to spend more time on the current junior class, another five-star commitment could be in the cards. Beard has signed a five-star prospect in each of the past two classes, Jahmius Ramsey and Nimari Burnett, and the Red Raiders will have several chances to ink another for 2021.
Texas Tech will host five-star wing Harrison Ingram on an official visit this weekend, though North Carolina, Purdue and Stanford may be difficult to beat. The Red Raiders are also involved with Manny Obaseki, though Oklahoma and Texas A&M may be out in front. Jaylon Tyson is a budding in-state talent that Texas Tech just offered last month, and the program has continued its contact with West Coast talent DaRon Holmes.
Most of all, Jon Kuminga is the one prospect, whether he reclassifies or not, that Texas Tech has its eyes on the most. The brother of current Red Raider Joel Ntambwe, there is a strong chance that Kuminga makes the move into the 2020 class. From there, it is anyone’s ballgame but Texas Tech is one of the few programs that has a legitimate shot, alongside Auburn and LSU.
